Mar Menor
Venture beyond La Manga Club and its golf courses and you will find that the region is a wealth of little known delights.
Few regions have the fortune to have a salt water lake close to the Mediterranean Sea. This intimate sea, historically know, visited, receive the name of Mar Menor (translating into English, Minor Sea). In its litoral perimeter it has a 73 km coast in what there are transparent water beaches and with little deep waters (the maximum depth is not superior to 7 meters) and with an area of 170 km 2 , that it place the Mar Menor in the European greatest salt water lake.
The Costa Calida, by which name this section of coastline is known, boast the attraction of Europe's largest saltwater lagoon, the Mar Menor, that abound with wildlife particularly at the Northern end of the lagoon which is home of thousands of flamingos during their Autumn migration. The Costa Calida area is also blessed with approximately 3.000 hours of sunshine a year.
The 73km of coastline of the Mar Menor are the location of tranquil villages, and the waters, which are rich in salt and iodine, which make this area the best for helping to cure some infections and rheumatic disorders. Some of the most important villages are San Pedro del Pinatar, Los Alcazares, Los Narejos, Islas Menores, Mar de Cristal and Playa Honda.
Since distant times, the wealth of its water, the kindness of the climate and the beauty of the area as a whole attracted many people. The Iberians and Phoenicians and, later, the Arabs have a part in the history of the Mar Menor. In the Moslem period, it was known as the Mar Chico, and the place known today as Los Alcázares (from the Arabic ´Al-Ksar´, literally translated as "place of residence") was chosen for their recreational houses. The continuous skirmishes with pirates from Algeria led to the need to construct watchtowers, some of which are conserved today, such as that of El Ramé or Rami. Until the 18th century, the area was occupied only by inhabitants dedicated to fishing and to the exploitation of the salt flats. From the 19th century, these centres gradually became centres for recreation and relaxation for the inhabitants of La Huerta, who established their summer residence next to the coast, attracted mainly by the curative properties of its brackish water. Even today, the Mar Menor remains faithful to the concept of ´residential area´ characterised by rest and tranquillity.
The warm waters of the Mar Menor, with a maximum depth of 7 metres, hold the ideal conditions and means for those who enjoy open or group sailing. Furthermore, visitors to this area can enjoy all the advantages of the Sailing Station of the Mar Menor , which in keeping with the ski station concept, offers a set of sailing, sports and tourist infrastructures together with hotels, accommodation and establishments for leisure and learning grouped together in one place: the entire Shore area of the Mar Menor and La Manga. This large saltwater lake has ideal climatic conditions (315 days of sunshine per year and an average annual temperature of 18ºC) for the continuous practice of water sports.
From the fishing town of Aguilas to the white dunes of the beach of El Mojon in San Pedro del Pinatar, stretch kilometre after kilometre of beaches and deserted coves awaiting the arrival of the bather, the sailor, the diver or the fisherman. In addition, there are delightful picturesque fishing villages , like La Azohia or Cabo de Palos where you can lose yourself for a few days; ports like the one in Mazarron where you can spend a lively evening and enjoy its magnificent gastronomy after a day on the beach; heavenly areas of natural beauty, unique in the whole Mediterranean, at the beaches of Calblanque and Calnegre... and one of the most highly considered tourist complexes in the Mediterranean: La Manga del Mar Menor, a paradise between two seas with infinite beaches, sandy sea beds and crystalline waters, and endowed with an excellent hotel infrastructure.
Furthermore, fans of water sports will find one of the best places in the world for practising sailing, canoeing, swimming, water-skiing, jet-skiing, flysurfing, windsurfing, catamaranning, and every other type of watersport activity in its numerous clubs, ports and sailing schools. The Nautical Resort on the Mar Menor and similar consortiums in Mazarron and Aguilas offer the chance to hire out equipment, book sailing courses and reserve accommodation at extremely interesting rates.
